May election: 6 candidates for Ohio governor show their tax returns

Four Democrats and two Republicans running in the May 8 primary for governor allowed reporters a look at all or part of their recent federal tax returns, giving a glimpse of their income, assets and charitable giving.

Releasing tax returns is not mandated by law but by and large, candidates for governor have done so voluntarily in the interest of transparency and accountability.

Dennis Kucinich speaks with other shoppers while campaigning and shopping at the West Side Market in Cleveland, Ohio, April 21, 2018. In the May 8 Democratic primary for governor of Ohio, two well-known progressives, Richard Cordray and Dennis Kucinich, are running on differing brands of liberalism that reflect divergences on the left.

Photo: ANDREW SPEAR/NYT

Democrat Dennis Kucinich, who filed for a 2017 extension, and his wife Elizabeth reported $258,028 in income and paid $57,824 in federal taxes in 2016. But Kucinich released just two pages of his 2016 and 2015 returns without accompanying schedules so details on their $122,028 in business income and $101,792 loss on real estate, royalties, partnerships, trusts in 2016 aren’t available. Likewise, charitable contributions aren’t disclosed on the two-page report.

His spokesman said reporters must drive to Cleveland to inspect complete returns.

Democrat Richard Cordray’s 2017 return with his wife Margaret, a Capital University law professor, shows the couple made $297,667 in income, paid 58,059 in federal taxes, paid $32,474 in state, local and real estate taxes and gave $25,625 to charity. The couple also sold off investments in 2016 and 2017 after Donald Trump’s election because of “discomfort with Trump’s erratic leadership and uncertainty over the impact it would have on the U.S. economy,” an aide said.

Democrat Joe Schiavoni and his wife Margaret Potts, a nurse, reported $207,990 in income and $35,049 in federal taxes in 2017. They paid an additional $12,151 in state, local and real estate taxes and declared $268 in charitable giving that year.

Democrat Bill O’Neill, a former Ohio Supreme Court justice who is single, reported income of $254,844 in 2017, including Social Security benefits and pension income, paid $50,189 in federal taxes, paid $33,162 in state, local and real estate taxes, and gave $960 to charity.

Republican Mary Taylor, an accountant serving as lieutenant governor,reported income of $97,197, federal taxes of $13,794, state and local taxes of $5,105 and no charity donations. Her husband Donzell Taylor, who owns dozens of companies, filed his own return, which was not made available to reporters.

Republican Mike DeWine and his wife Fran reported $634,975 wages, pension and investment income last year and paid $113,801 in federal taxes, paid $67,848 in state and local taxes and donated $57,389 to charities.

Cordray criticized Kucinich for omitting detailed schedules. “Until Dennis Kucinich releases his full tax returns, the people of Ohio have reason to wonder how much he was paid by FoxNews, whether he was paid by Russia Today or Sputnik News, two propaganda tools of the Kremlin. And we won’t know what other financial ties he has to pro-Assad groups,” Cordray said.

Kucinich on Monday released a letter from the Association for Investment in Popular Action Committees saying it received $20,000, constituting the return of a speaker’s fee the group paid Kucinich in March 2017.